Dennis Franz

Two decades of playing cops in films and on television prepared actor Dennis Franz for the role of his lifetime - that of troubled Detective Andy Sipowicz on "NYPD Blue" (ABC, 1993-2005). A rage-fille...
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Alongside a record degree of mediocrity, the 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards also marked a few records in some of its top competitive categories. Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston took home the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series trophy last night: his fourth for the role of Walter White. With this latest achievement, Cranston has tied one Dennis Franz, who has held the record of four Best Dramatic Actor Emmys solo since 1999. The milestone begs us to look back through other Emmys records: Which stars have the most wins? The most nominations? And, perhaps tragically, the most nominations without a single win?
This bittersweet superlative goes to none other than Angela Lansbury, who never quite nabbed that trophy despite 12 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series nominations as Murder, She Wrote star Jessica Fletcher.
NBC
Not only does Lansbury claim ownership of the most nominations without a win, she also has the most nominations period in any acting category. Alan Alda, Ted Danson, and Kelsey Grammer have all earned 11 nominations in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series category (for M*A*S*H, Cheers, and Frasier respectively), and Mary Tyler Moore snagged 10 Lead Actress in a Comedy nominations for her eponymous sitcom. As for supporting categories, David Hyde Pierce has taken 11 nods for his work on Frasier, while Rhea Perlman and Loretta Swit have each earned 10 comedy nominations (Cheers and M*A*S*H).
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What defines a man's toughness on TV? Is it showing up to work with a severed thumb? Burning another man's face off on a stove? Telling your wife you'll pick up the dry cleaning and then making it a point to forget? Yes! Yes! And… probably? Here are five dudes that bring the word badass to a whole new level.
HBO
5. Ray Donovan, Ray DonovanThis Hollywood fix-it-man (Liev Schreiber) is new to the small screen, yet already has the makings of a legendary TV tough guy. Not only does he beat up L.A.'s bottom feeders for a living (not necessarily a bad thing), he even held a gun to his old man's head and threatened to pull the trigger. If that's not the definition of a dysfunctional family then I don't know what is.
4. Detective Elliot Stabler, Law &amp; Order: Special Victims UnitHe's a tough-as-nails Irish-American who will use whatever means necessary to put away bad guys. Stabler (Christopher Meloni) also has a tattoo of the Crucifixion of Christ on his bicep. Why? Because he can.
3. Jack Bauer, 24If speaking at a low-pitch would quantify a TV character's toughness than Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) of 24 would be off the charts! And how many people do you know that can stay up for an entire day without ever once using the bathroom? That's just painful.
2. Paulie Walnuts, The SopranosAnyone with half-a-brain can argue that all mobsters are tough to some degree. But Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico) retains a certain style of toughness for telling his friend-turned FBI information Big Pussy "You were like a brother to me" right before whacking him. With family like that, who needs enemies?
1. Andy Sipowicz, NYPD BlueHe's a hot-headed, racist and homophobe with a big heart and even bigger appetite, yet everyone who works with Detective Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) at New York's 15th Precinct will tell you that deep down he's actually a softie. He may also be the only TV cop in history to have lost a son, a wife, and about a billion different partners and still not break a tear. Now that's tough.
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David Mitchell's novel Cloud Atlas consists of six stories set in various periods between 1850 and a time far into Earth's post-apocalyptic future. Each segment lives on its own the previous first person account picked up and read by a character in its successor creating connective tissue between each moment in time. The various stories remain intact for Tom Tykwer's (Run Lola Run) Lana Wachowski's and Andy Wachowski's (The Matrix) film adaptation which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival. The massive change comes from the interweaving of the book's parts into one three-hour saga — a move that elevates the material and transforms Cloud Atlas in to a work of epic proportions.
Don't be turned off by the runtime — Cloud Atlas moves at lightning pace as it cuts back and forth between its various threads: an American notary sailing the Pacific; a budding musician tasked with transcribing the hummings of an accomplished 1930's composer; a '70s-era investigatory journalist who uncovers a nefarious plot tied to the local nuclear power plant; a book publisher in 2012 who goes on the run from gangsters only to be incarcerated in a nursing home; Sonmi~451 a clone in Neo Seoul who takes on the oppressive government that enslaves her; and a primitive human from the future who teams with one of the few remaining technologically-advanced Earthlings in order to survive. Dense but so was the unfamiliar world of The Matrix. Cloud Atlas has more moving parts than the Wachowskis' seminal sci-fi flick but with additional ambition to boot. Every second is a sight to behold.
The members of the directing trio are known for their visual prowess but Cloud Atlas is a movie about juxtaposition. The art of editing is normally a seamless one — unless someone is really into the craft the cutting of a film is rarely a post-viewing talking point — but Cloud Atlas turns the editor into one of the cast members an obvious player who ties the film together with brilliant cross-cutting and overlapping dialogue. Timothy Cavendish the elderly publisher could be musing on his need to escape and the film will wander to the events of Sonmi~451 or the tortured music apprentice Robert Frobisher also feeling the impulse to run. The details of each world seep into one another but the real joy comes from watching each carefully selected scene fall into place. You never feel lost in Cloud Atlas even when Tykwer and the Wachowskis have infused three action sequences — a gritty car chase in the '70s a kinetic chase through Neo Seoul and a foot race through the forests of future millennia — into one extended set piece. This is a unified film with distinct parts echoing the themes of human interconnectivity.
The biggest treat is watching Cloud Atlas' ensemble tackle the diverse array of characters sprinkled into the stories. No film in recent memory has afforded a cast this type of opportunity yet another form of juxtaposition that wows. Within a few seconds Tom Hanks will go from near-neanderthal to British gangster to wily 19th century doctor. Halle Berry Hugh Grant Jim Sturgess Jim Broadbent Ben Whishaw Hugo Weaving and Susan Sarandon play the same game taking on roles of different sexes races and the like. (Weaving as an evil nurse returning to his Priscilla Queen of the Desert cross-dressing roots is mind-blowing.) The cast's dedication to inhabiting their roles on every level helps us quickly understand the worlds. We know it's Halle Berry behind the fair skinned wife of the lunatic composer but she's never playing Halle Berry. Even when the actors are playing variations on themselves they're glowing with the film's overall epic feel. Jim Broadbent's wickedly funny modern segment a Tykwer creation that packs a particularly German sense of humor is on a smaller scale than the rest of the film but the actor never dials it down. Every story character and scene in Cloud Atlas commits to a style. That diversity keeps the swirling maelstrom of a movie in check.
Cloud Atlas poses big questions without losing track of its human element the characters at the heart of each story. A slower moment or two may have helped the Wachowskis' and Tykwer's film to hit a powerful emotional chord but the finished product still proves mainstream movies can ask questions while laying over explosive action scenes. This year there won't be a bigger movie in terms of scope in terms of ideas and in terms of heart than Cloud Atlas.
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"I have always been extremely proud to be one of the brave... The people that I was with, I considered the brave, and anyone who took those chances, I am extremely proud to be associated with those men and women who served." Former Nypd Blue star Dennis Franz is proud to have served in the U.S. military. The actor served in Vietnam.

Americans are abuzz over the impending visit from the royal newlyweds, but another UK cultural phenomenon, one far more interesting than a pair of toothy aristocrats, has already arrived stateside: Attack the Block, the directorial debut of British comedian Joe Cornish. The film, a gritty sci-fi action-comedy about a crew of hoodie-clad street kids who defend their South London council estate against furry, feral alien invaders, is already the stuff of legend among indie-film cognoscenti, many of whom were on hand when it made its world premiere in March at the South by Southwest festival. Screened as part of the fest’s “Midnighters” program – a category reserved for more provocative genre fare – it met with rapturous acclaim, sending hordes of exultant festivalgoers into the Austin, Texas, night, proclaiming the film’s many virtues on Twitter and Facebook. Days later, Attack the Block exited SXSW with an audience award and a distribution deal – with Sony Screen Gems.
Since then, Screen Gems has been steadily stoking the buzz for the film ahead of its July 29 release, showing it off at special screenings in select cities and building upon its pile of glowing reviews. Much of that praise has been directed toward the film’s young star, John Boyega, making his feature-film debut in Attack the Block as Moses, a nihilistic petty larcenist moved to acts of courage and self-sacrifice when bloodthirsty extra-terrestrials threaten his beloved block. I caught up with the actor recently for a brisk chat, in which we discussed aliens, hoodies, and his co-star, Nick “Santa Claus” Frost.
It’s hard to believe this is really your first feature film role. Had you done much acting before?
I come from a theatre background. I’ve been a professional actor for about a year and a half now. But this is my first movie role, yeah.
When you first got the script for Attack the Block, what did you make of it? It’s such a wild film; I can’t imagine what it looked like on the page.
The first time I heard about Attack the Block, I thought it was incredibly stupid. I wasn’t really feeling it. When I got the script, I loved it. I lived in south London, so it’s kind of weird, a film being shot in south London, giving that kind of cinematic element to it. We’ve never had that. We’ve never had orchestral music playing at the back of scenes. We’ve never had that kind of action-adventure coming to where we live. So I fell in love with it. I fell in love with how inventive it was. Well done, Joe.
This was a pretty physical role, with all of the fights and stunts and fleeing from aliens. Had you ever done anything like that before in your theatre experience?
No, but I’m that guy that always copied the Power Rangers. You know that message before [episodes] where they tell you not to copy? I’m the guy that copied. It was kind of like doing that, just on a movie set, and a lot of people were there, telling me how to keep safe. But it was really fun.
The alien monsters in the film are pretty nasty creatures. How were they represented on set?
It was a guy in a suit. His name is Terry Notary. He’s been a monkey in Planet of the Apes; he was in Avatar, Silver Surfer, Hulk. He was on the set, in that suit, adding life and bringing that energy to the aliens. He was fabulous to work with.
That would be a fun suit to borrow, to play pranks on your friends.
Well, you know what? Me and Franz, who plays Dennis, we snuck into their room and kind of used their stuff. But there was a little bit of an accident with that, as they were very fragile. Sorry guys; it was us!
Before you signed on for the project, were you familiar at all with Joe Cornish or his work? Had you seen his Adam and Joe Show on the BBC?
No. I wasn’t familiar with Joe at all. I thought someone else was directing this film when I read the script. And then they told me it was a guy called Joe Cornish, and I was like, “Wow.” But it was amazing working with Joe.
Did Joe have you watch certain films to prepare for the role? There a lot of different influences evident in Attack the Block.
Yeah, he gave us a DVD package. There was Warriors, Goonies, Assault on Precinct 13, the first Predator, Alien. It was kinda to get us to understand what this film was tryin’ to do. Ideally, what Attack the Block is, is a kind of love letter to all of those films, kind of saying, “Thank you for giving us such a great escape when we were kids,” you know what I mean? That’s what Attack the Block is, and those films helped us with our performance.
What was the atmosphere like on-set?
It was fun on-set. There was a great energy. It was cold, so there was loads of hot chocolate, loads of Red Bull. When we sat in a meeting to start filming, Joe was like, “Basically, we’re a bunch of friends, and we’ve been given a loads of money to make a movie that we’ve always wanted to make.” And that’s exactly what it felt like, a student film, but with eight million [pounds].
What did you guys think of Nick Frost? He seems like a lively fellow.
Nick Frost is like Santa Claus, but a Santa Claus that comes every day. He’s such a nice, bubbly, funny guy. He would do some crazy stuff before we’d start shooting a scene, like a serious scene. I’m out there putting my thing in, and all the gang are there, trying to get the scene done, and Nick would walk in with these little puppy dog eyes, with his hair tied back, and be like, “Are you all right, lads?” And just seeing him cracked you up. But he really cared about us, cared about our careers, gave us advice and stuff. He was Uncle Frost.
Have you seen Super 8? I have a feeling that a lot of people are going to be comparing it to Attack the Block.
Yes I have. I actually saw it here, near Long Beach. There were loads of guys applauding and clapping, which is not what we get back home. We don’t really get that kind of “Woooo!!!!”, that kind of energy. I actually love that. I’m a big fan of that. Makes me feel like we’re watching something, you know? I loved Super 8. I really enjoyed that film.
It’s hard to avoid the comparison, but . Both have a kids-and-aliens bit, and yet, aside from that, they couldn’t be more different.
It’s just different circumstances. I believe that if the kids from Super 8 were put in the same circumstances as the kids from Attack the Block, they would be exactly the same.
If they moved to England and started a gang?
… and started wearing hoodies, yeah.
I wanted to ask you about that, because heard people talk before about London’s so-called “hoodie culture.” What is it, exactly?
Well, I don’t really know what they mean by a “hoodie culture.” It’s just clothes. Some people use it to hide their identity; some people use it to shield them from the rain. It’s just a piece of clothing.
So it doesn’t mean anything?
Nah. My mum wears hoodies all the time. She ain’t stepped to no one.
Attack the Block opens in select theaters on July 29, 2011.

Franz, who played Detective Andy Sipowicz opposite Smits' Detective Bobby Simone on TV for 10 years, couldn't resist poking fun at his pal, insisting he'd always have to run slower in chase scenes on the beloved crime series to make the Latino star look faster.
Thrilled Smits stated, "That's a TV icon, folks, that you're listening to."
Franz also had kind words for his former co-star, insisting he's glued to Smits' new TV drama Outlaw.
He added, "Good luck and we're watching... It's a great show, another great job. You can be proud."
Fighting back tears, Smits thanked the news show for setting up the phonecall surprise: "Wow, that was great."

Former NYPD Blue star Dennis Franz has signed up to serve as grand marshal of Santa Barbara, California's holiday parade.
Franz, who lives close to Oprah Winfrey in nearby Montecito, will join marching bands, floats, and Santa Claus in the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization's Holiday Parade Dec. 2.
And while he's looking forward to taking part in the festivities, Franz, 61, plans to head to his family's new ranch in Idaho for the Christmas holidays.
He says, "Coming from Chicago, I like a white Christmas. That was one of the things I had a hard time getting used to when I came to California in '78--Santa Claus in shorts."
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Actors in Los Angeles may be used to getting up earlier than most mere mortals to make their set call times and hit the makeup chairs and wardrobe trailers. But Desperate Housewives star James Denton's wee-hours rise to announce this year's 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Award nominations on Tuesday came with an extra special reward: not only did he get to reveal that his co-star Teri Hatcher was in the running in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series category, Denton himself was a nominee as well, joining his cast mates in the category of Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.
"It's a real honor to be nominated for best ensemble," the wide-awake Denton, who was called to West Hollywood's Pacific Design Center as a last minute fill-in for Dennis Franz (who was stuck up north in Montecito unable drive to waterlogged L.A. because the freeways were shut down), told Hollywood.com. "And I was REAL happy to get to call Teri's name."
The actor, who plays the plumber-with-a-secret Mike Delfino on the hit show said it was definitely worth getting up on his day off. "I've got a baby, so I'm at this time of day anyway. Well, maybe I got up a little earlier than normal. But it was no problem at all. I was happy to jump in and fill in for Dennis."
Denton was eager to share the news with his co-stars but planned on waiting until a more appropriate hour. "I'll probably call Teri and congratulate her--I'll give her a couple hours. We'll see each other later on today. It'll be really fun to talk about it. Everybody's so thrilled. We're really honored with the People's Choice Award, and the Golden Globes are next weekend and almost all the women are nominated, so we're just really happy that people found us."
"I've been around long enough to know we're really fortunate, and take it sort of with a grain of salt in a way, because you don't want to feel like 'Oh, suddenly we've all arrived and we're gonna be rich and famous.'" said Denton of the Housewives" breakthrough season. "It's more a matter of people appreciating what you're doing. It's fun to go to work when you know people are going to see it. Believe me, I've gone to work on TV shows where you knew nobody was going to see it. It's really been a fun ride in that respect."
Along with the ensemble nod, Hatcher was the only Housewife to snare a solo nomination, joining familiar SAG staples Patricia Heaton, Doris Roberts, Megan Mullally and Sarah Jessica Parker in the female comedy category. The ensemble will compete against the casts of Arrested Development, Everybody Loves Raymond, Sex and the City and Will &amp; Grace.
No Peer Pressure
Denton teamed with Alexander actress Rosario Dawson to make the live announcements for nominations, which encompass actors in both film and television. The SAG Awards will be presented and televised live on TNT on Feb. 5 in what is traditionally a star-studded ceremony, as most actors enjoy receiving accolades from their fellow thespians. "As an actor if you're getting nominated you know it's coming from your peers as opposed to a critic," Dawson told Hollywood.com. "It's not just an awards show, or a popularity or critics' contest.
"It's really about people who understand the work that goes into acting, who are inspired by it to the point of wanting to do it themselves, and just recognizing that an active actor," Dawson explained. "I'm really looking forward to the awards ceremony themselves. It's supposed to be just a love-fest: film and TV actors get together and just hang around and have a good time."
Denton agreed that the SAG Awards have a particular resonance among performers. "The SAG Awards are cool because we know how it works. So many of the other voting boards are kind of nebulous, and you're not really sure who they are. But with the SAG Awards it's people you know and you've worked with. And you get your own ballot so you know exactly how the process works, so it feels a little more real. And it's always interesting to see what actors respond to, That's a lot of fun, because I think we, whether it's right or wrong, tend to respect each others opinions-maybe more so than other people because we have the same attitudes. So it's fun to see what they nominate and what they vote for."
Actors' Actors
There were some clear favorites among this year's acting nominees. Jamie Foxx led the pack, with nods in the film categories for male lead and the ensemble of Ray as well as supporting male in Collateral and as the male lead for the TV movie Redemption. Hilary Swank also fared well, collecting noms as the female lead and in the ensemble of the feature Million Dollar Baby along with a nod as the female lead in the HBO telepic Iron Jawed Angels. Members of the cast of Sideways were other clear actors' darlings, with film nominations for Paul Giamatti (male lead), Thomas Haden Church (supporting male), Virginia Madsen (supporting female) and the entire ensemble.
Among series TV performers, familiar faces ruled: Allison Janney, Ray Romano, Jennifer Garner, Sean Hayes, Edie Falco, Tony Shalhoub, Christine Lahti, Kiefer Sutherland, James Gandolfini, Hank Azaria, Anthony Lapaglia, Heaton, Roberts, Mullally and Parker are among the perennials in various categories. Two and a Half Men's Charlie Sheen scored his first-even nomination as male lead in a comedy, while Drea de Matteo also got a solo nod-for The Sopranos not Joey-after several seasons of ensemble nominations.
And nine-times-ensemble-nominated actor Jerry Orbach, the Law &amp; Order veteran who died in December, received his first solo nomination as male actor in a drama series.
In addition to sharing their respect for one another's talents, SAG president Melissa Gilbert also congratulated the prominent actors-such as Sandra Bullock, Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, Famke Janssen and many others-who have stepped up and shown compassion and financial relief for the victims of the devastating tsunami in South Asia.
"The acting community has a long and distinguished history of aiding people in need, particularly in times of crisis, and I'm proud of the many actors who stepped forward this past week to be part of the relief effort," said Gilbert. "Our hearts and a prayers continue to be with those who have been affected."
In the tradition of giving and receiving, SAG has loaded up a celebrity gift basket jammed-packed with A-list goodies, many of which will be donated back for auction to benefit the SAG Foundation's community children's literacy and member assistance programs. To check out the SAG swag, visit www.sagawards.org/auction.
Here is the complete list of nominees:
Television
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for Television
Teri Hatcher, Desperate Housewives
Patricia Heaton, Everybody Loves Raymond
Megan Mullaly, Will &amp; Grace
Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and the City
Doris Roberts, Everybody Loves Raymond
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Made for Television
Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
Sean Hayes, Will &amp; Grace
Ray Romano, Everybody Loves Raymond
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for Television
Arrested Development
Desperate Housewives
Everyone Loves Raymond
Sex and The City
Will &amp; Grace
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for Television
Hank Azaria, Huff
James Gandolfini, The Sopranos
Anthony LaPaglia, Without A Trace
Jerry Orbach, Law &amp; Order
Kiefer Sutherland, 24
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for Television
Drea de Matteo, The Sopranos
Edie Falco, The Sopranos
Jennifer Garner, Alias
Allison Janey, The West Wing
Christine Lahti, Jack &amp; Bobby
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for Television
24
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Six Feet Under
The Sopranos
The West Wing
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Glenn Close, Lion in Winter
Patrica Heaton, The Goodbye Girl
Keke Palmer, The Wool Cap
Hilary Swank, Iron Jawed Angels
Charlize Theron, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Jamie Foxx, Redemption
William H. Macy, The Wool Cap
Barry Pepper, The Dale Earnhardt Story
Geoffrey Rush, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
Jon Voight, The Five People You Meet In Heaven
Movies
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Annette Bening, Being Julia
Catalina Sandino Moreno, Maria Full of Grace
Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake
Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby
Kate Winslet, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Leading Role
Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda
Johnny Depp, Finding Neverland
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator
Jamie Foxx, Ray
Paul Giamatti, Sideways
Outstanding Performance for a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Cate Blanchett, The Aviator
Cloris Leachman, Spanglish
Laura Linney, Kinsey
Virginia Madsen, Sideways
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Thomas Hayden Church, Sideways
Jamie Foxx, Collateral
Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby
James Garner, The Notebook
Freddie Highmore, Finding Neverland
Outstanding Performance by a Cast of a Motion Picture
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Hotel Rwanda
Million Dollar Baby
Ray
Sideways

Top Story: Michael Jackson Pleads Not Guilty
Michael Jackson pleaded not guilty today in a Santa Maria, Calif., court to charges of child molestation and conspiracy involving child abduction and extortion, The Associated Press reports. The grand jury indictment also alleged lewd acts and attempted lewd acts involving a child, as well as administering an intoxicating agent to a child. Jackson, wearing a black jacket with a red armband and a red tie, arrived 40 minutes early and entered the courtroom under his customary umbrella. After entering a plea of not guilty, the 45-year-old singer left the courthouse and thanked the fans around the world for their love and support "from every corner of the Earth." In brief comments afterward, Jackson's new defense attorney, Thomas Mesereau Jr., said the case should not be about lawyers or celebrity. "This case is about one thing only,' he said. "It's about the dignity, the integrity, the decency, the honor, the charity, the innocence and the complete vindication about a wonderful human being named Michael Jackson." Police Chief Danny Macagni told the AP 42 of the city's 107 police officers were assigned to the courthouse, along with about 50 sheriff's deputies, to handle the hordes of fans.
Actor Quits Film Over Animal Killing
Actor John C. Reilly walked off the Swedish set of director Lars von Trier 's Manderlay to protest the killing of a donkey for the shoot, a production spokeswoman told Reuters Thursday. The spokeswoman said they tried to use a puppet instead of a real donkey but when that didn't work they asked a veterinarian to provide us with an animal that was due to be slaughtered anyway. "Because of the film," she added, "this poor donkey lived two more months than it would have otherwise." Reilly was quickly replaced by Slovenian actor Zeljko Ivanek.
The Olsen Twins Get Their Stars
Seventeen-year-old twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen each received a star on the Walk of Fame yesterday in recognition of their contribution to television, the AP reports. The event was timed to promote their first feature film, New York Minute, in theaters May 7. They hugged and held hands while posing by the stars, located in front of the Hollywood &amp; Highland mall complex on Hollywood Boulevard. The two will also host the season finale of NBC's Saturday Night Live on May 15.
Christina Aguilera Cancels Tour
Singer Christina Aguilera has canceled her North American tour plans due to strained vocal chords, Reuters reports. Aguilera was set to kick off her 28-city tour May 13 in Seattle with rapper Chingy. "I am extremely disappointed to have to cancel this tour," the singer said in a statement. "I was looking forward to being on the road again and spending time with my fans." According to a statement, doctors advised Aguilera to rest immediately and allow her voice time to recover.
Affleck Supports Minimum Wage Increase
Ben Affleck, a former dishwasher and waiter, was on Capitol Hill Thursday to promote an increase in the federal hourly minimum wage from $5.15 to $7 as proposed by his home state senator, Edward Kennedy, D-Mass, the AP reports. "Perhaps the senator saw my movie Gigli last fall and figured I'd be working for minimum wage myself," Affleck joked, adding more seriously: "I know firsthand what a struggle it was to try to raise a family on such a small salary. Nobody is going to get rich off of making $7 an hour."
Jolie Visits Detained U.S. Asylum Seekers
Angelina Jolie, meanwhile, visited facilities in Arizona where children separated from their asylum-seeking parents are being detained by the United States. "Many of these children have survived tragedy so being separated from their families can only add to their suffering," Jolie, a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, said. According to U.N. chief spokesman Fred Eckhard, some 5,000 children are detained each year in the United States while seeking asylum.
Third Adult-Movie Performer Contracts HIV
An adult-movie actress known as Jessica Dee has become the third performer to test positive for HIV in an wave that has shut down many productions in the porn industry. According to the AP, Dee had sex with five men who were later placed on a voluntary quarantine list, after the first HIV case was announced April 12. A total of 53 people were listed for quarantine, according to Sharon Mitchell, executive director of the nonprofit Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation, which screens performers for sexually transmitted diseases. The outbreak began after a performer with the stage name Darren James apparently contracted HIV while filming unprotected sex scenes in Brazil. He returned to the United States and apparently infected Lara Roxx during film shoots, Mitchell told The New York Times.
LaPaglia, Wood, Honored at Prism Awards
Winners of the eighth annual Entertainment Industry Council's PRISM awards, which are given for the realistic depiction of alcohol, drug and tobacco use, were announced last night at the Hollywood Palladium in Calif. Anthony LaPaglia won for his performance in Happy Hour; Evan Rachel Wood was honored for her performance in Thirteen; and the Brazilian film City of God took home the prize for theatrical feature film. In television, Dennis Franz was honored for performance in NYPD Blue and Peter Krause for Six Feet Under. Honored for their contribution to the organization were: HBO for America Undercover: Crank: Made in America; MTV, for MTV News Now: Jack Osbourne: Back From Rehab; and ESPN for the May 11, 2003 episode of SportsCenter.
Role Call: Thornton Goes From Bad Santa to Bad News Bears
Billy Bob Thornton will star in the remake of Paramount Pictures' 1976 film The Bad News Bears. Thornton will portray the coach of the Little League team of misfits originally played by Walter Matthau. The project will be written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the scribes responsible for Thornton's recent hit, Bad Santa.

The mood was somber and celebrity little more than a means to an end when tonight's telethon, America: A Tribute to Heroes, was shown on every major network and most of the major cable channels. There was no audience applauding; there was no audience, period, except those at home. There were no introductions; that wasn't the point, as celebrity speakers made clear throughout the night by telling the stories of the many heroes who lost their lives and saved the lives of others.
To commemorate Sept. 11, a day that could easily be thought of as "the day the music died," talented and famous faces came together for an evening of songs, stories, and yes, the occasional call for contributions.
Telathon-ing Tales
The speeches tonight came in all varieties, all impassioned, some tearful, others awkward. A clearly nervous Jim Carrey spoke of Winston Churchill, then told the story of heroes who saved a woman by carrying her down 68 flights of stairs. George Clooney spoke of John Perry, a New York City policeman who'd filed his retirement papers the morning of Sept. 11, but heard of the tragedy and went to help. He never came back, Clooney said.
Cameron Diaz told stories of teachers who saved children at schools near the World Trade Center. Robin Williams talked of a hero who'd saved lives in the 1993 bombing and again this time, only last Tuesday he didn't make it out himself. Jimmy Smits spoke of police heroes, "cops who are willing to sacrifice their lives in an instant, for people they do not know." Julia Roberts spoke tearfully of heroes at the Pentagon, and the flying of the flag and the applause that greeted it.
Kelsey Grammer, who lost a co-worker aboard one of the flights that crashed, quoted words of strength from John F. Kennedy. Clint Eastwood talked gruffly of a day that would live in infamy.
Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Calista Flockhart, Conan O'Brien, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ray Romano, Jane Kaczmarek, Sela Ward, Chris Rock and Dennis Franz also spoke.
American Pie
With some of the biggest names in music on the bill, America: A Tribute to Heroes was bound to be good. Bruce Springsteen opened with a candlelit acoustic performance of "My City of Ruins." Willie Nelson closed the two-hour event with "God Bless America," backed by an all-star cast of celebs who had been manning the phones all night. Does it get any better than that? Cut the album; give the proceeds to charity. We're there.
Of course, there were those who pointed out the reason for the event in their songs. Stevie Wonder, who followed The Boss, sang, "Love's in Need of Love Today," with the rather pointed line, "Don't delay, send yours in right away." Wyclef Jean's version of "Redemption Song" was peppered with cries of "Brooklyn" and "New York City" and "we've got to full-fill that book," which he sang while pointing to the phone bank.
The much-maligned Mariah Carey sang the only song she could under the circumstances, "Hero," of which she said, "When I wrote this song," she said, "it had a lot of meaning for me, and tonight it has even more meaning." Well said.
U2 appeared from London. Billy Joel tossed off a powerful rendition of "New York State of Mind" with a firefighter's helmet perched atop the piano. Faith Hill, Enrique Iglasias, Alicia Keys, a bearded and shaggy Tom Petty (with requisite Heartbreakers), a cowboy-hatted Neil Young performed as well. The Dixie Chicks were spot on, and Dave Matthews did an impressive solo acoustic tune.
Jon Bon Jovi did "Living on a Prayer"; Sting dedicated his performance of "Fragile" to a friend who died in the attacks. Sheryl Crow performed, and Paul Simon sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
Tele-Celebrity
Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, James Woods, Meg Ryan, Cuba Gooding Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Ben Stiller, Penelope Cruz, Danny DeVito, Halle Berry, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Benicio Del Toro, Cindy Crawford, Sylvester Stallone, Mark Wahlberg, Michael Keaton, Brad Pitt, Sally Field and other famous faces were seen answering phones at the telethon bank or singing backing vocals on the finale of "God Bless America."
The stars also took the time to make a point about the evils of racism and hate. Several Arab children spoke of the tragedy and its affect on their lives, then Will Smith appeared on stage, with Muhammad Ali, whom he'll be portraying in the forthcoming Ali.
"It was hate, not religion that motivated the attacks," Smith said.
Then Ali spoke. "I'm here because of the troublin' thing that happened the other day. I'm a Muslim, and I've been a Muslim for 20 years…. I think people should know the real truth about Islam. You know me, I'm a boxer…and a man of truth, and I wouldn't be here defending Islam if it was really like the terrorists made it look…. Islam is peace."
Later in the show, Lucy Liu said "America's greatest enemy is hatred itself."
The telethon was Hollywood's effort to generate contributions for the September 11th Telethon Fund, which is administered by the United Way and guaranteed to be distributed 100% to the victims of the terrorist attacks on America last week and their families.

Professional acting debut in the play "Cops", co-starred Joe Mantegna and Meshach Taylor

Had cameo in Robert Altman's "The Player"

Received star on Hollywood Walk of Fame (February 19)

Had featured role as an angel who eschews his celestial life for the pleasure of living on earth in the romantic drama "City of Angels"

After military service, organized several theater companies in the Chicago area with some college friends

Feature debut, Robert Altman's "A Wedding"

Co-wrote the popular play, "Bleacher Bums"; later broadcast on PBS

Starred in the "Hill Street" spin-off, "Beverly Hills Buntz" (NBC)

Moved to L.A. on the advice of Altman and De Palma; traveled cross-country with Mantegna and Mantegna's wife

Lampooned his tough-guy image by giving a hilarious turn as an abusive husband-turned-rotting-corpse in the Dixie Chicks' music video "Goodbye, Earl"

First film with director Brian De Palma, "The Fury"

Debut as TV series regular, "Chicago Story" (NBC)

Began association with Steven Bochco with a two-episode guest spot on "Hill Street Blues" (NBC)

Joined the Organic Theater Company in Chicago

Drafted in the military after graduating from college; served an 11-month tour of duty in Vietnam

Summary

Two decades of playing cops in films and on television prepared actor Dennis Franz for the role of his lifetime - that of troubled Detective Andy Sipowicz on "NYPD Blue" (ABC, 1993-2005). A rage-filled alcoholic with unbridled contempt for minorities and gays, it took an actor of Franz's talent and presence to find the sympathetic elements beneath his bristling hide, and Franz brought them out in every single episode of the benchmark series, earning four Emmys in the process. Prior to his success on "Blue," Franz was a veteran of the Chicago theater scene and a character actor specializing in cops and heels, most notably on "Hill Street Blues" (NBC, 1981-1987) as Lt. Norman Buntz. But "NYPD Blue" provided his finest hours, and ensured Franz a place in television history as one of the medium's most complicated lawmen.<p>The son of German immigrants who worked for the postal service, Dennis Franz Schlachta was born in Chicago, IL on Oct. 22, 1944. Though he was a bonafide sports nut who played on the baseball, football and swim teams at Proviso East High School in Maywood, IL, he discovered a new passion - acting - in the 11th grade. His impetus to audition for a part in a production of "The Crucible" was his girlfriend at the time, who was also trying out for a role. Franz landed the part - the girlfriend did not - and his future was set in stone. Franz attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, where he majored in speech and theater. After graduation, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, which shipped him to Vietnam for 11 months with the 82nd Airborne Division. The experience was a difficult one for Franz, and he struggled with depression in the years following his discharge. Eventually, he made his way back to acting via Chicago's acclaimed Organic Theater, which he joined in 1972. There, he was nominated for two Joseph Jefferson Awards in 1976 and 1977, which acknowledged excellence in Windy City theater. In 1979, he appeared in a televised PBS production of the play "Bleacher Bums," which began life at the Organic Theater as a story conceived by actor Joe Mantegna. Franz, who also appeared in the original theater production, was among the credited writers for the play and its screenplay, along with future director Stuart Gordon of "Re-Animator" fame (1985). A 2002 version of the play was broadcast on Showtime.<p>Franz began auditioning for film and television during the 1970s, making his debut in Brian De Palma's "The Fury" in 1978. His burly frame and streetwise intensity made him a natural for figures on both side of the law, though policemen and detectives seemed to be his specialty. He was a flatfoot on the trail of Michael Caine's cross-dressing killer in De Palma's "Dresssed to Kill" (1980) and made his TV debut as a hard-working Chicago beat cop in "Chicago Story" (NBC, 1982). After meeting Robert Altman during an audition, Franz enjoyed several small parts in the director's late-1970s and early '80s output, including "A Wedding" (1978), "A Perfect Couple" (1979) and "Popeye" (1980). Other significant turns during this period were as the sleazy new manager of the Bates Motel in "Psycho II" (1983) and a short-tempered adult film director in De Palma's ultra-violent and controversial "Body Double" (1984).<p>After a short stint as the coach of a minor league baseball team on the sitcom "Bay City Blues" (NBC, 1983), Franz was cast as an unscrupulous detective on a new series by that show's producer, Steven Bochco. "Hill Street Blues" would bring Franz his widest audience to date, and through some fairly unconventional means. His character, Detective Sal Benedetto, was killed at the end of the series' third season, but Bochco was such a fan of the actor that he brought him back three seasons later in an entirely different role. Franz played Lt. Norman Buntz, a crude, sartorially challenged detective who made life miserable for the members of the series' unnamed precinct. At the time of his arrival, "Hill Street" was struggling to maintain its foothold in the ratings, and was in fact being considered for cancellation. Buntz's arrival brought a breath of not-exactly fresh air to the program, which facilitated a change in his character from unpleasant foil to anti-hero. The character was so popular that when Bochco brought the series to a close in 1987, Buntz got his own program, a broad comedy titled "Beverly Hills Buntz" (NBC, 1987-88) that sent him to Los Angeles as a private eye.<p>Franz bounced between features and television in the years that followed "Hill Street." He made a brief return to series work with "Nasty Boys" (NBC, 1990), a laughable action-drama about a special unit of the Las Vegas police department that wore ninja-like disguises as they solved crimes. More notable was a turn as a stubborn airport security chief who reluctantly teams with Bruce Willis in "Die Hard 2: Die Harder" (1990). All were surpassed in 1993 when he assumed the role that would define his acting career. At first blush, Andy Sipowicz was a wreck - a racist alcoholic with lingering trauma from his experience in Vietnam and an ex-wife and son who refused contact with him. But as "NYPD Blue" progressed, Sipowicz displayed a remarkable ability to grow as a person; he remained a tough and dedicated cop, but the relationships he forged with his partners John Kelly (David Caruso), Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) and Danny Sorenson (Rick Schroeder) helped him to drop his defenses, as did a romance with Assistant District Attorney Sylvia Costas (Sharon Lawrence). These changes also helped when Sipowicz was faced with a series of tragedies, including the deaths of Simone, Costas and his son. By the series' conclusion in 2005, he was a transformed man, a new father and squad commander of the 15th precinct. In every episode - Franz was the only regular cast member for "Blue's" entire network run - he found the humanity and the honor beneath Sipowicz's blue-collar roughness. The result was an astounding four Emmys for his work, as well as a Prism Award, two SAG Awards, and five Q Awards from the Viewers for Quality Television.<p>The challenges of leading "NYPD Blue" offered little time for Franz to work outside of the series, though he did manage to appear in a handful of small projects in between seasons. He appeared in the long-gestating film version of David Mamet's "American Buffalo" (1996) opposite Dustin Hoffman, and gave a moving, decidedly non-Sipowicz-like performance as a former angel that gave up his celestial body to become human in "City of Angels" (1998). He also turned up as an abusive heel who meets his maker via a bowl of poisoned black-eyed peas in the music video for the Dixie Chicks' 1998 single, "Goodbye Earl." The clip won Video of the Year awards from both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association in 2000. After "Blue" left the air in 2005, Franz kept a low profile, citing a need for a long vacation and the opportunity to review new projects. He participated in several charity events, including a 1999 Revlon Run/Walk in Los Angeles, and served on the jury for the 2009 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Name

Role

Comments

Heidi Deigl

Sister

born c. 1935

Franz Schlachta

Father

Eleanor Schlachta

Mother

Marlene Schraut

Sister

born c. 1938

Joanie Zeck

Wife

together since 1982; married on April 1, 1995

Krista Zeck

Step-Daughter

born c. 1976

Tricia Zeck

Step-Daughter

born c. 1974

Education

Name

Southern Illinois University

Wright Junior College

Proviso West High School

Southern Illinois University

Notes

Andy Sipiwicz on "NYPD Blue" is Franz' 28th role as a cop.

"Nobody's better than Dennis, he's a great, great actor. He's a tough guy, he play cops with extreme realism, he funny, and he looks like a mutt" --Producer Steven Bochco quoted in USA Today, November 30, 1993.

"I selfishly would like to expand to other kins of parts but if I did nothing but play cops for the rest of my life, there are worse things that could happen." --Franz to USA Today, November 30, 1993.

"[Franz] is one of the most generous people another actor can work with. And the most important thing he gives Sipowicz is that sense of humanity." --"NYPD Blue" co-star Jimmy Smits to TV Guide, July 17, 1999.

On his highly publicized nude scene on "NYPD Blue": "I would be on the street filming and people would pass by and yell out of their car, 'Hey Sipowicz, when are we going to see your a--?' I would yell back, 'Yeah, thanks for the concern, pal.'" --Franz to the Chicago Sun-Times, April 12, 1998.

Franz claimed he was so grateful to win his first Emmy Award that he slept with the statuette the night he won it. "You do have to be careful. It really hurts when you roll over on those sharp, pointy wings." --Franz to the Chicago Sun-Times, April 12, 1998.

"I was the worst postman in history. I would start my route at daybreak and I would finish long after dark ... I'd stop for doughnuts. I'd play with animals. I'd go home with my bag of mail and just lay around the house." --Franz to the Chicago Sun-Times, April 12, 1998.